Method and apparatus for cutting and pulling cut section of tubing in an open hole section of a wellbore
A method and apparatus to move an object in an open hole section of a wellbore. A bottom hole assembly including a downhole pulling tool and fishing device is described. The downhole pulling tool includes an open hole anchor to allow location of the downhole pulling tool in the open hole section of the wellbore so as to reduce the operating distance between the downhole pulling tool and the fishing device. An embodiment in which a cut section of tubular is removed from the open hole section is described. A casing cutter may also be located in the bottom hole assembly to cut the tubular on the same trip in the well as removing the cut section of tubular.
1. A method to move an object in an open hole section of a wellbore, comprising the steps:
(a) providing a downhole assembly on a work string, the downhole assembly including a downhole pulling tool and a fishing device, the downhole pulling tool comprising an open hole anchor and an actuator system, the open hole anchor having an elastomeric anchor element and gripping elements;
(b) running the work string in the well bore and the downhole assembly through an outer casing of a cased section of the wellbore located uphole of the open hole section and into the open hole section;
(c) gripping the object with the fishing device;
(d) operating the gripping elements to hold the downhole assembly to a wall of the open hole section then anchoring the downhole assembly to the wall of the open hole section by contacting the elastomeric anchor element of the assembly to the wall of the open hole section;
(e) operating the downhole pulling tool to pull the object;
(f) releasing the downhole assembly from the wall of the open hole section; and
(g) raising the work string to remove the downhole assembly from the wellbore.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein at step (g) the object is removed from the wellbore on the work string.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the open hole anchor is an inflatable open hole packer and the elastomeric anchor element comprises a packer element of the inflatable open hole packer and step (d) comprises inflating the packer element to contact the wall of the open hole section and step (f) comprises deflating the packer element to disengage from the wall of the open hole section.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein step (d) further comprises engaging the wall with the gripping elements of the downhole assembly and step (f) comprises releasing the gripping elements from the wall of the open hole section.
5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the open hole inflatable packer is retrievable and step (g) includes retrieving the open hole inflatable packer on the downhole assembly.
6. The method according to claim 3 wherein the open hole inflatable packer is resettable and step (f) includes resetting the open hole inflatable packer on the downhole assembly.
7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the object is a cut section of tubular and the method includes the additional steps, between steps (f) and (g), of raising the work string to move the downhole pulling tool until movement is prevented as the cut section of tubular remains stuck; resetting the open hole inflatable packer; inflating the open hole inflatable packer to re-anchor the downhole assembly to the wall of the open hole section of the wellbore; operating the downhole pulling tool to pull the cut section of tubular; and releasing the downhole assembly from the wall of the open hole section.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the object is a cut section of tubular and the method includes the additional steps, between steps (f) and (g), of raising the work string to move the downhole pulling tool until movement is prevented as the cut section of tubular is stuck; resetting the open hole inflatable packer; inflating the open hole inflatable packer to re-anchor the downhole assembly to a wall of the outer casing of the cased section the wellbore located uphole of the open hole section; operating the downhole pulling tool to pull the cut section of tubular; and releasing the downhole assembly from the wall of outer casing.
9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method includes an additional step of jetting fluid from the downhole assembly to wash the wall of the open hole section against which the downhole assembly will be anchored.
10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the object is a cut section of tubular and the method includes the additional steps of including a cutting tool in the downhole assembly at step (a) and using the cutting tool to cut the tubular to form the cut section of tubular.